Flexible sole construction for footwear



April 20, 1954 E A, GAYNOR l 2,675,633

FLEXIBLE SOLE: CONSTRUCTION FOR FOOTWEAR Filed July les,v 1951 wyf.

INV ENT OR ATTORNEYS' Patented Apr. 20, 1954 FLEXIBLE SOLE CONSTRUCTION FOR FOOTWEAR Emanuel A. Gaynor, Baltimore, Md., assigner to Chesapeake Shoe Mfg. Co.,`Baltimore, Md., a

corporation of Maryland Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 236,929

(Cl. B6-43) 1 Claim. l

The present invention relates to iiexible sole construction for footwear, and more particularly to a novel inner sole construction for use in footwear of the Goodyear Welt type.

Shoes of the Goodyear Welt type are constructed with the insole securely attached to the inturned margin of the shoe upper and to the edges of an outsole by stitching and cement process. Such a construction, while having many recognized advantages insofar as wearing qualities and durability are concerned, is subject to the disadvantage that the relatively stiff unyielding leather insole and outer sole elements are disposed in overlying relation with their marginal edges securely stitched and adhered together so that deformation of the sole is strongly opposed by their internal and mutual resistance to stress.

It has long been recognized that shoes of this type are relatively stiff and unyielding and hence uncomfortable to the wearer for a long period of time before the shoes can be adequately broken in. The discomfort occurs primarily because of the resistance to bending at the ball and toe portions of the shoe, where the foot is relatively conned by the upper. This inflexibility is largely due to the incapacity of the outer sole to become elongated or stretched, and the incapacity of the insole to be shortened or compressed without undue wrinkling or cracking, when the thicker and stronger outer sole is curved on its outer surface as the shoe is bent in walking.

These disadvantageous characteristics attendant to this otherwise most desirable form of construction is particularly pronounced in childrens shoes where the ball and toe supporting portions of the sole extend over a very confined area, producing a much more pronounced stiffness in this portion of the shoe.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel shoe construction wherein the insole and outer sole arranged in accordance with Goodyear welt construction practice overcome the above disadvantages.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel insole construction in footwear of the Goodyear welt type wherein the ball-supporting portions of the sole can be readily flexed and deformed to conform to the shape of the foot in Walking.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel insole construction in a Goodyear welt type shoe in which the internal strains in the insole overlying and rigidly secured peripherally to the relatively thicker outer sole are sufciently overcome to permit flexing and compression of the insole along the curved portion of the outer sole as it is bent in walking.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel insole construction in a Goodyear welt type shoe in which the stress resisting fiber strains in the insole are sufficiently weakened along the ball portion of the insole so as to diminish the forces opposing compression on deformation of the insole and its overlying peripherally attached outer sole.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein only a preferred embodiment is shown.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe embodying the present invention, with parts shown inY longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the improved insole;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the shoe, taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the shoe illustrated with the ball portion exed, with parts illustrated in section.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reierence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the particular embodiment chosen for illustration comprises a childs shoe, indicated generally at l0, having an upper i2, an outer sole I Il, a heel I 6, and a welt strip i8.

'lhe shoe is provided with a leather insole 26 constructed in general conformity with Goodyear welt construction practice. To this end, the insole Z0 is provided along its marginal portions with a sewing rib 22 depending from the lower surface of the insole 2G. This vsewing rib 22 is formed of a continuously abutting pair of strip elements 22', 22"' integral with the leather insole 2U but skived up fromA the under surface of the insole and folded into perpendicular depending relation thereto and cemented or otherwise conveniently secured together in mutually overlying relation.

In accordance with Goodyear welt construction practice, the insole 20 prepared with its sewing rib 22 is assembled with the upper l2 on a last, the lower edge of the upper l2 and the inner edge of the Goodyear welt strip IB being secured to the sewing rib 22 by the inseam stitches 24 or other suitable fastening means. The inseam is then trimmed in customary fashion and the outer sole i4 is applied and secured in conventional fashion as by cementing to the sole bottom structure. The outer margin of the outer sole I4 is sewed to the welt strip I8 by the stitches 26 or other suitable securing means,

This manner of construction yields an exceptionally durable and otherwise highly desirable shoe. However, due to the relatively stiif and unyielding character of the insole 29 and outer solle Ill which are bound together through the stitching 26 and inseam stitches 21% along their marginal portions, the insole 253 is relatively incapable of compression and the outer sole l@ is relatively incapable of expansion or stretching, so that substantial resistance to deforming stresses exist until the soles are adequately broken in. In the case of childrens shoes, Where the area of the insole and outer sole elements is considerably reduced, this characteristic is particularly pronounced, and leads to extreme discomfort to the wearer when the shoes are relatively new. In the case of childrens shoes, this leads to substantial sales resistance.

In order to overcome this difficulty, the insole 20 is provided with a series of periorations 28 arranged preferably in a circular or other desired artistic pattern extending through the thickness of the insole. The perforations 28 are disposed generally over the ball-supporting area of the insole 29, and occur at spaced points through this area to sever the bre strains or resistances axes of the leather to reduce the internal stresses resistant to bending and compression.

Extending substantially across the width of the insole 29 and disposed at the bisecting axis of the portion of maximum curvature of the insole is a scored area 30. This scored area 30 is preierably arranged in the form of an artistic geometric design formed of straight intersecting recesses cut into the upper surface of the insole 29. In one preferred embodiment, this scored area 39 taires the form of a trade-mark or `trade-name design, and intersects the center of the circularly arranged series of perforation 23. rThese scores Si! extend into the leather insole 2e to a sufficient depth to interrupt the longitudinal fibre strains of the leather and facilitate deformation and compression of this area of the insole. The sewing ribs 22 of the insole are notched as at 22a` in line substantially with the foremost and rearmost boundaries of the perforated area 28 to facilitate exing and deformation of the insole 2t.

To maintain proper ventilation of the foot disposed against the perforated area 26 and aid in preserving the insole in normal shape notwithstanding weakening by the perforations and scores, a sponge rubber pad 32 is disposed between the insole 20 and outer sole l, conforming in shape to the inner edge of the sewing rib 22.

With this construction, it will be observed that marked exibility will be imparted to the shoe sole, so that the sole may be readily bent to conform substantially to the curvature of the foot of the wearer in walking, without the discomfort normally incident to "breaking in the shoe. The pattern of perforations 28 and scores 30 extending over the ball-supporting portion of the insole 20 effects a considerable reduction in the resistance and internal fibre-strain opposition to compression and deformation of the leather insole, thus permitting the sole to be readily flexed by minimizing the deformation-resistant character of the truss-like structure formed by the bound insole 20 and outer sole is. The arrangement of perforations and scores, however, is such that the foot supporting character of the insole is not substantially lessened while the desirable characteristics 0f flexibility are achieved.

While but one particular embodiment of the present invention has been particularly shown and described, it is distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and are set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An insole for shoes of the Goodyear welt type comprising a body portion of fibrous material and a sewing rib depending from the lower surface of said body portion extending around its marginal portion, said insole having a series of substantially sector-shaped perforations arranged in a circular pattern centered on the ballsupporting portion of the insole and extending entirely through the thickness thereof to disconnect the cohesive internal fibre strains of said insole, and a series of rectilinear scores each extending substantially longitudinally of said insole and aligned transversely of the insole and symmetrically with respect to an axis intercepting the center of said circular pattern, said series of scores extending substantially entirely across the width of said insole and providing a transverse flexing axis to said ball-supporting portion, whereby localized flexibility and compressibility are imparted to said insole over the perforated and scored area thereof Yto minimize mutual resistance to deformation arising from peripheral binding of said insole to the shoe.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 638,394 Johnson Dec. 5, 1899 1,161,769 Hammon Nov. 23, 1915 Y 1,517,170 Rosenthal Nov. 25, 1924 1,549,237 Vaughan Aug, l1, 1925 1,785,410 Gilkerson Dec. 16, 1930 2,021,163 Woodman Nov. 19, 1935 2,074,121 Goodyear Mar. 16, 1937 2,104,133 Mees Jan. 4, 1938 2,125,238 Givren July 26, 1938 2,204,505 Lumbard June 11, 1940 2,269,427 Brady Jan. 13, 1942 2,302,706 Margolin Nov.- 2/1, 1942 

